


We Cannot Swept this Under the Carpet

by imnotevil13



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Confession, English is not my native language, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27419170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotevil13/pseuds/imnotevil13
Summary: Thanks to his broken com, Tony discovered something about Steve which he will take an action to.#Grammar mistakes corrected by myself, please tell me if there’s still any mistake.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66





	We Cannot Swept this Under the Carpet

**Author's Note:**

> I believe there are so many stories like this but it can’t prevent me from making one! So here I am back to my old fandom with a new story I hope you’ll like it.  
>   
> The title is from _DJ Snake – Middle ft. Bipolar Sunshine_.

It was a small, barely there static which wake Tony up from his unconsciousness. His com has died due to his freefalling and the last thing he heard before the harsh landing was JARVIS’ concerned _‘Sir, it seems –’_ before getting cut with an audible click. There was a sharp pain from below his navel which he couldn’t pinpoint where but at least he sure as much that all part of his body was still intact.

Sore, but undamaged. 

Waking up and find another part of his body being replaced by something else, _again_ , wasn’t something he fancies with. 

There was concrete as Tony turned on his right side, armor and all, which made his head dangling funny. And from the smell which struck his nostril as soon as the faceplate gone, he came to conclusion that he was in a basement. Or sort of. Since he remembered he was falling twice after crashing, Tony sure that wherever it was, it must be the bottom of the building. 

The static turned louder this time and he could hear some of the other’s voice in between. 

“ – him land – where – here – ” 

That was Hawkeye’s voice. The archer must be seeing him getting hit as Tony heard him shouting, _‘Shit! Guys! Iron Man is down!’_ just a moment before all of the indicator on his HUD blaring red with too many exclamation marks for Tony to count and JARVIS voice popped up to read him all the malfunctions on his armor. 

“Must be one – building. – keep searching.” 

Cap’s voice. This time it sounds clearer than before. And the static started to fade, replacing by everyone’s voice overlapping each other’s as they were discussing Tony’s possible position. It should be hard for his already pounding head, but somehow hearing them helped Tony from feeling trapped under a thousand weight of concrete and metal. 

“ – reckless,” Natasha said this time. The static had completely gone making their voices sounded clear in his ears. “Next time he decided to go solo, I’ll shoot him myself.” 

Tony let out a breathless laugh. Natasha might sound mean but beneath her voice, everyone knew that actually she cared. Her latest sentences were just an example of her concern. 

The pain in Tony’s leg – so it was his left leg which eating him – started to throb again as he tried to move. But laying position felt so uncomfortable especially if he was in a suit. So gritting his teeth, Tony groaned as he pulled himself to a nearby wall and pushed to sit down. Back resting on the damped brick. 

Wasting his time doing nothing than hearing his team trying to save him, Tony found out that the incoming com was perfectly functioned but not the answering one. He tried to communicate back, telling them that he was still alive, injured but mostly still breathing, and _please just find me goddamit!_ But it seems neither of them heard him. Leaving the genius dumbfounded staring at the darkness surrounding him with Clint and Sam bickering over the com as the background sound and Steve constantly whispering his name like he was praying. 

_Huh._

The voice was barely there. Almost inaudible if Tony didn’t pay much attention. But Captain America was actually repeatedly murmuring his name. Followed by _‘Please God let him be alive’_ or _‘Don’t die on me Tony’_ or – surprisingly – _‘Please Tony, I love you, please don’t die’_.

_Hu…h?_

The last one only spoken once, or maybe more since Tony only aware of Steve’s rambling over the com recently. But it was enough to make him choked on his own breath. 

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s relationship was something. People could see that. Their first encounter wasn’t good, but through time they manage to know each other, tolerating each other. And thanks to Tony’s idea to live under the same roof at the Tower with the whole team, he finally dared to label their interaction with each other as friendship. 

The close one, if he might add. 

As often time they spar together, or making a bet with each other, or went on an undercover mission to the depth of the ocean together. 

Sometimes he even caught Steve proudly referring Tony as his best friend when someone mentioned the billionaire. And if Tony’s chest didn’t swell with happiness he would be lying. 

But the big L word wasn’t something he dare to guessed would be spoken from Steve’s lips. Moreover followed by his name. Sure Clint always mentioned that they argued like an old married couple. Even Peter – er…, Spider Man, reference them as the Mom and Dad of the Avengers. Steve said to him that some days ago Rhodey gave him his blessing which Tony only response it with a laugh because he believe it was just a joke. And he vaguely remembered that some nights ago, when he found Bucky at the kitchen unable to sleep, and they were ended up having a rare, deep talk, the Winter Soldier said that he trusted Steve to him. 

Tony thought that time that Steve’s best buddy was going to commit suicide but the emo man was still present until this day so he must be took the sentences wrong. 

Which he just realizes the true meaning now. Buried beneath an abandoned building, listening to Steve’s chatter. 

It wasn’t platonic, that ‘I love you’ Steve said earlier. It wasn’t the same as ‘I love you’ Tony said to JARVIS when the AI helps him, nor the ‘I love you’ he said to Bruce when they solved a scientific problem together. Not even the same as ‘I love you’ Steve said to Bucky when they were in the deep conversation and Steve assured him that he was okay, that he was safe with them – the Avengers, that they all could be a family. That ‘I love you’ was the one Maria said to Tony when he was a child. 

No, it was something else. 

It was something _more_.

Steve _is_ in love with him. 

And everyone knew. Every single soul knew which maybe including Fury because that man always knew about something. 

Tony sometimes wonders if Fury’s missing eye actually not missing or damaged but scattered all around the world. 

He shuddered to imagine that. 

So everyone knew about Steve’s feeling except for the man he was having an interest with. Tony snorted, “What a way, soldier,” he said with a raspy voice. 

The com now filled with Steve’s voice only as Tony meditate to focus on that voice to calm his breath. Because sooner or later, the thin air in that small room would likely thinned out and Tony didn’t want his team found him died from suffocating. The repeated _‘Tony’_ from Steve made him warm, and he lets his mouth turned upward into a stupid grin every now and then because, damn, how could he miss something like this? Was it the first time Steve became this worried each time Tony injured? Maybe no. Knowing it was Steve’s face he saw every time Tony woke up from his unconsciousness in the hospital. Looking like a mess. With disheveled hair and eye bags the super soldier would throw him a relief smile before got up to inform the nurse. 

Back then Tony would name Steve’s concern as ‘responsibility concern’. Because he was the team leader, and Tony was his member. That soldier could be a mother hen to the team which didn’t bother to stop mothering them. Mostly Tony because he was the rebel child who always refuse to sleep and only running on a fuel called ‘coffee’. After this, though, everything would be different. 

He couldn’t wait to reunite with his friends and telling Steve his own feeling. 

_‘Where are you Tony?’_

_‘Tony.’_

_‘Tony please at least do something.’_

_‘Shit, why didn’t I tell him sooner?’_

_‘Tony, please.’_

_‘Please don’t die Tony, please.’_

_‘Oh God please don’t let me lose him. Don’t let him die.’_

_‘I love you Tony.’_

And the rambling continues until Tony’s consciousness slipping. 

He missed Natasha’s voice when she shouts out, “Hey Cap! Stop your jabber, I found something!” 

He also missed the Hulk’s grunt as the big man warned the others to move so he could start digging. Or the slightly blinding light which peeked from the debris as it was being lifted one by one by the green man. Revealing Tony’s red armor down below and a chorus of relief sighed from everyone. 

What he didn’t miss, was the white ceiling of a hospital room and Steve sat beside him. 

“Tony.” 

“Steve,” he said once before coughing. The blonde suddenly closed to his side rubbing his forearm. “How long?” 

“Three days.” 

_‘Three days,’_ Tony echoed inside his mind. _‘Three days of worrying me. Three days of no sleep. You should’ve stopped doing that.’_ But instead he said, “I’m sorry.” He couldn’t help from smiling when Steve looked puzzled for a second, clearly surprised and confused by Tony’s outburst. 

But Steve was quick to recollecting himself, so he just pressed his lips in a thin line before nodding. “Yeah,” he said shortly. “I will inform the nurse.” 

The man was already walking to the door when Tony calls his name, made him stop at the doorway to turn back to the brunette. _‘Now or never,’_ Tony thought as he gave an open smile, “I love you too.” 

There was a paused as gears tickling inside Steve head, processing Tony’s words. When he gets it, his face exploded in a crimson red as his mouth gaping like a goldfish, drawing out a laugh from Tony’s chest. He walked back to the small chair beside Tony’s bed with right hand half raised and mouth opened but no sound escape. Until he sat on the said chair he found back his voice. 

“You heard me.” Tony nodded. “How?” 

“The com chirped back to live – only receiving,” he quickly added when Steve frown. “So, yeah, I love you too Steve, sorry for not noticing.” 

Steve groaned on his palm when Tony grinned at him. All innocent and white teeth. “It shouldn’t be like this.” 

“Pardon?” 

Steve took a deep breath, stood up, then said, “I’ll inform the nurse. Don’t go anywhere,” Tony snorted and he rolled his eyes, “Seriously Tony, just, get better soon. I know a cheeseburger restaurant downtown and I believe you will like it.” 

“Is that a date?” 

“Maybe?” 

“Captain America asked me out?” 

“It’s Steve Rogers who asking you out.” 

“And it’s Tony Stark who answering.” 

“Is that a yes?” 

“Maybe?” 

This time Steve snorted. He reached up to Tony’s head, caressing that messy hair, saying, “Just, get better soon,” then bending down to kiss that forehead. He laughed when Tony’s eyes rounded. 

“That’s so vanilla Steve.” 

“Then get used to it already.” 

“Yeah. I can live with that domestic.” Tony reached weakly to grab Steve’s sleeve, made the blonde bending over once again and for Tony to kiss his cheeks. “That’s a start.” 

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a long time since I read Stony again, and as I posted this story, I’m still stuck on page 1143 of 25786 Stony fics (with filter of course) which was published in Jan 16th 2013 on AO3. Yeap, I like to read those ff works backward so I can catch up with all of you’s stories. It’s refreshing!


End file.
